


The More Things Change...

by Jamaican Princess (Rocquellan)



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Gen, Gen or Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-16
Updated: 2013-06-16
Packaged: 2017-12-15 05:04:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,474
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/845643
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rocquellan/pseuds/Jamaican%20Princess
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jessica expected Sam to make it back for his pre-law interview Monday morning. She was way too happy to see him that Sunday night.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The More Things Change...

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired mostly by S2E16: Roadkill. All mistakes are my own. Would anybody like to be my beta? Concrits are welcomed.

Jessica Moore wasn’t used to time without her boyfriend, Sam Winchester. Sam had only been gone eight hours, and already she was missing him. It niggled at her as she laid in bed though, the altercation between him and his brother, Dean. There was so much in the unspoken air between them, a lot of unfinished business and she just knew to give up on trying to convince Sam to stay, because whatever was between them, _brothers_ , was too strong for her to make a dent. She didn’t feel right about it, though, didn’t want Sam to go, but she had to let him go. And once Sam made up his mind, he could be stubborn like a mule.

That night, sleep was restless and unfulfilling, but it was a weekend and she had two whole days to herself before Sam would return and the hassle of preparing for his law school interview on Monday would literally take over both their lives, like most things related to a higher education. She could see why some people burned out at some point with the entire thing. Not everybody could manage it. 

College life was hectic, and nobody knew that better than Jessica Moore. Except maybe Sam. Sam worked hard, pushed himself to the limit, which was why she found last night so out of character. Whatever Sam’s dad had gotten into, it must have been pretty bad. Getting out of bed, she decided on a shower before doing the laundry in the laundry room down the hall. It wasn’t a surprise when she ran into Shelly-Ann and Brady, Sam’s friend and his on and off again girlfriend. She would have rathered to not cross paths with them, because for some reason, she wasn’t as fond of Brady as Sam was. There was nothing wrong with him, nor was it anything he particularly did, but her spirit just didn’t jive with his and she learned from a young age to always follow her instincts. But unfortunately, only the machine beside them was free.

“Hiya, Jessica,” Shelly-Ann greeted, popping gum and looking at her from over Brady’s shoulder, who turned to look at her after.

“Hi guys,” She answered, setting her basket down and opening the machine door.

“Hey. Where’s Sam?” Brady asked easily, giving her half his attention. 

She tried not to feel jealous when Shelly-Ann leaned a comfortable hand on Brady’s shoulder before resting her chin on said hand, black bob falling forward in her face. She’s so used to having Sam by her side it makes her feel off kilter now that he wasn’t. She didn’t exactly want to delve into her boyfriend’s business though, so she answered, “Family emergency.” 

She notices Brady straighten at that.

“Oh, ok. It’s weird seeing one without the other, you know?”

“Yeah, didn’t think that guy could tie his shoes without her close-by,” Shelly-Ann laughed, which Jessica didn’t find particularly funny. She only smiled disarmingly before resuming putting the coloreds in the washing machine.

Brady didn’t take the hint though and continued, watching her, “Yeah, don’t know when she might need him, you know?”

Something cold creeped up Jessica’s spine, maybe something about the tone or the infliction in his voice and she promptly ignored the two, letting out a sigh of relief when they left for breakfast at the school cafeteria a moment later.

.....

By midday Saturday, Jessica tried Sam’s cell phone for the second time, worrying when it dumped straight to voicemail. Maybe he was hurt or something? But she felt strongly like she was overreacting. Sam didn’t say which woods in which county his father was, but she imagined there was no coverage, which would totally explain the voicemails. She dutifully convinced herself she was acting out the overreacting girlfriend stereotype. There’s nothing like a little self-inflicted stereotyping to get her to disarm the thoughts.

.....

“Hello?”

“Hi, Jess, it’s Rebecca.”

“Hi Rebecca.”

“Is Sam there?”

Clutching the phone to her ear, Jessica looked around for a split second as if expecting Sam to suddenly pop up in front of her, but deflating at the realization she was still very much alone in the apartment. “No, he’s not, ‘becca. Anything I can help you with?”

“Yeah, Thursday night when we were at James’ party Marcus seemed to have misplace his planner, have you seen it?” 

Jessica rolled her eyes, smiling in exasperation. “I think your brother should chain that thing to him, he always seem to be losing it.”

Rebecca laughed on the other end of the phone. “I’m definitely going to suggest it. T’is a surprise he can find his shadow most times.”

Jessica snorted. “But no, I haven’t seen it and Sam isn’t here for me to ask. I’ll ask him when he gets back though, I’m expecting him tomorrow.”

“Alright, thanks, Jess.”

“No problem, ‘becca.”

They both hung up.

Going over a list of what chores she would give priority at the moment, she decided to iron the suit Sam would wear to his interview early monday morning. She took great care with the clothes that would make the man, smiling at the mental image of a handsome Sam all put together, ready to wow the interviewers off their feet. She’d always been a sucker for a really handsome guy in a nice suit and just knew that they’ll be making love after Sam tells her he would be getting a free ride to the pre-law University attached to the college.

She firmly believed, without a doubt, that he would make it.

When she was through, she decided to go down to the local mini mart. She needed something to make for a dinner of one. Even eating without Sam felt weird. 

She couldn’t help her thoughts going back to Sam’s brother, Dean, and how he was eyeing her like one of those hungry wolves one would see on tv. A player. She shuddered at the look in his eyes. So _not_ her type. She wondered briefly how that guy could ever be related to her perfect Sam. Maybe the gene pool wasn’t spread evenly and Sam got most of the good ones. There was nobody better in her eyes.

The mini-mart was a one block walk off campus, but Jessica had felt halfway there like she was being watched. It wasn’t anything concrete, just like a spider sense tingling, or something. She looked around a few times but nobody out of the ordinary was there; no-one obviously watching her. It still didn’t make her feel any better and as soon as the mini-mart entrance came into view she ducked inside, grabbing a basket and using the array of groceries to distract her from her paranoia. It eventually worked and while she couldn’t make up her mind between zucchini and cucumber, she was unpleasantly surprised when she ran into Brady, who held a basket in one hand while he perused the same produce shelf from a few feet beside her. She wanted to turn the next way and don’t stop until she was home, but he looked up and saw her before she could slip away unnoticed.

“Hey, Jess, fancy meeting you here.”

“It’s Jessica,” she answered halfway between polite and irritated. Why she had to run into this guy of all people showed she had the worst luck in the world.

“I like calling you Jess,” Brady answered, inching his way over with a smarmy smile on his face. 

She could never see what Sam saw in the guy, how he called him a friend. There was just something about him that niggled at her; made her hackles rise. Especially now that she was without Sam. This was always so much easier with him around. She turned to look at the produce again, hoping he got the hint to leave her alone. “Yeah, well don’t. I don’t like it.”

Jessica grabbed a single carrot from a bunch, stuck it in her basket and made to walk off to the cashier, who was a good four aisles away. She was hoping not, but somehow she wasn’t 100% surprised when the guy grabbed her arm, stopping her in her tracks. 

She expected dick moves from dicks. She looked down at her arm incredulously, before trailing up the hand on her to Brady’s face. “What the...?”

“Listen, Jess...” the guy started while he got all up in her personal space, making their proximity look less threatening than it was to others. She looked around, there was nobody around. “...I know you don’t like me much, but me and Sam are friends. Really _really_ good friends.” Jessica flinched back when the guy got even closer, _way_ too close for her liking. “Good enough that I normally have a taste of what he have, you know?” And the salacious once over he gave her almost made bile rise to her throat.

“Get the fuck off,” Jess growled, pulling her hand back hard enough to feel a small twinge of pain. Gathering her frayed nerves she near sprinted to the cashier, where she threw her basket down on the counter before racing home as fast as she could, taking periodic glances over her shoulder to make sure Brady wasn’t trailing her. When she finally got behind the door she locked up tight, engaged all the locks on the windows and doors, even drawing the curtains against the warm evening sun. She grabbed the house phone once again, sighing in anger and disappointment when it dumped straight to voicemail for the third time since last night.

.....

Sunday morning brought with it the promise of a better day. Jessica knew that Sam would at least be home by that night for his interview tomorrow, so she was counting down the hours until he walked through that door, or called with the words she needed to hear. With the happy bubble of Sam on her mind, she went to work on simple chores around the house. 

She had no intention of setting foot outside the apartment until Sam got home.

Jessica made her own breakfast, intermittently watched TV and followed up on some homework due the next day and using Sam’s study schedule to arrange the books he would need for the rest of the week. The doors were still locked so she felt safe in her home, and soon the audaciousness of Brady took back seat to the excitement of seeing Sam.

She would tell her boyfriend what his supposed friend did though, no doubt about that. If it was one thing she knew about Sam Winchester, it was that he was aggressively possessive of what was his. 

Brady wouldn’t be coming around anymore once Sam knew, and that knowledge only made her feel even happier. She looked at the clock once again. It was lunch time.

.....

Alright, so it was winding down to the crunch. The sun would be setting in an hour and the clock on the oven buzzed for the cookies Jessica made for Sam. It was chocolate chip, his favorite and she hoped he would be quick enough to catch them warm. She laid them on the counter in the kitchen with a note that said ‘missed you!’ and ‘love you!’ written on it, then she started washing the dirty utensils she’d used.

It was about a half hour later when the weird stuff started. There was a knock at the front door but when she went up to it and asked who it was, there was no answer. There was no-one visible through the peephole. She bit her bottom lip in worry because the thought occurred to her that maybe Sam was hurt from the hunting trip to find his dad and was lying at the door, unable to move.

If she was thinking rationally she would have wondered where Dean was, but when it came to Sam and getting hurt rational was a thing best left to other people, so she flung the door open and looked out at...nothing. No-one.

A shiver ran through Jessica then, something wasn’t right. Her hackles started rising again and she peered down the hall, in both directions, just to make sure that she wasn’t mistaken. Heart hammering in her chest, she quickly drew back and shut the door with the lock, breathing a sigh of relief when she was safely behind the barrier. When she turned around, her stomach almost bottomed out and a scream got stuck in her throat because she was staring at a black eyed, snarling Brady.

.....

There was unspeakable, unbearable pain all around. It was like dying, except not. Like being burned alive, except not. There was a noise, something like the front door opening and Jessica finally opened her eyes, whimpering at the thought that Brady might be back. She could never remember exactly what he’d done to her, but it felt like dying. Footsteps echoed in the hall and a whimper left her throat, the need to scream unbearable, bubbling in her chest until it threatened to break free. Another footstep joined the sound of the approaching one, careful and measured and she tried to curl up on the floor as small as possible, covering her head with her hands as she waited for the scream to come whenever Brady started.

Jessica whimpered and begged with shaky breath to be released.

“Jess?”

Jessica gasped loudly, like breathing for the first time at the sound of that voice. Her head snapped up to look and the enlightenment itself was heavy on her chest. 

It was Sam! Sam had come back! She felt her heart fluttering madly. “Sam? Sam!”

She threw herself at him, sobbing hysterically as she held tight to him for dear life. 

“Jess?! Oh my God, Jess!”

Jessica sobbed out her relief as she stood there in Sam’s arms, encompassed by _safe_ and mine, face buried in that strong chest.

She felt Sam gently push her back until he could look into her eyes and she could see that he was crying silently but profusely too. 

“Jess, what happened?”

“B-Brady,” she managed to choke out, realizing that Dean was there and looking between both of them, willing them to understand.

Sam’s lips pursed and his jaw ticked, but she didn’t miss the look Dean shot Sam. 

“Shh, go easy, Jess. Dean, get her a glass of water.”

When Dean’s eyebrow shot up questioningly at Sam Jess saw it, but she was being led to the bed by Sam and to be honest, she just didn’t have the strength for more than the gratefulness she felt that Sam was really back. She looked at her trembling hands when they sat on the side of the bed, trying to compose herself into some semblance of sanity, trying hard not to think how she might look in Sam’s eyes right now.

“Jess, look at me. Look at me, Jess.”

It took soft fingers on her chin to accompany the even softer, pained tenor of Sam’s voice for Jess to look into those hazel eyes she loved so much.

“Jess, Brady was here...” Then Sam seemed to steel himself against something before he continued. “...what did he do?”

Jessica released a shaky breath, gathered her thoughts and said the most important thing she will ever tell her boyfriend about his college buddy. “Sam, Brady is _not_ your friend, he can’t be trusted. Yesterday he tried coming on to me in the mini-mart when you were gone and I just knew! I always knew there was something dark and twisted about that guy.”

She’d pleaded with her eyes as well for Sam to understand, to know she was telling the truth and it felt like a weight was lifted from her shoulders when she realized that Sam believed her, he _understood_. There wasn’t even any hint of doubt and it only made her heart soar. Sam trusted her inexplicably.

“I know Jess, I’m so sorry I didn’t see it sooner.” He brushed a tear from the corner of her eyes before pulling her into a hug so tight and protective she just wanted to stay there in his embrace, just like this, forever.

“Yeah. I’m, I’m sorry for acting so clingy,” she said with a shaky half laugh after pulling back to just drink him in; her Sam. She was never _this_ clingy before but the situation has changed, right? She noticed Dean there like a looming, undeniable presence, standing in the doorway with a glass of water in one hand, an unreadable expression on his face and a mixture of emotions in his eyes. Gaining back most of her confidence, she realized she was being a bit rude and wiped her eyes, took a deep breath and while looking between them asked, “So how did the hunt for your dad go? Did you two find him ok?”

They both shifted uneasily and Sam smiled tightly before answering. “Yeah, we did find him, except he’s gone again.” The last was said in a tight voice.

“Alright, alright,” Jessica nodded. She wanted her life to get back to the way it was, when she was happy with Sam by her side and her future ahead of her. She looked around the apartment, same as she remembered, and clung to Sam even tighter. “A, are you going to the police? About Brady? What will you do?”

Sam’s eyes darkened, his expression hard and with reassurance in his voice and firm, steady hands on her arms, he answered, “I already took care of him, don’t worry.”

Jess breathed a sigh of relief. She could count on Sam for anything. With a hand cupping his cheek and all the love and adoration she felt for this guy swelling in her heart, she just had to let him know. “I’ve always believed in you, Sam. You’re always there for me and you’re all I think about. I don’t know what I’d do if I ever lost you.” She laughed mirthlessly. “I’d probably roam this earth like a restless spirit or something...no aim or purpose except to get back to you.”

She didn’t notice how both men stiffened with tension at her words, but she buried her face in Sam’s shoulder when he pulled her into a warm, loving embrace, kissed her crown and whispered softly in her hair, “I love you so much, Jessica.” He squeezed harder for a second for emphasis. “I love you so much you have no idea. I’m going to keep you safe, I promise you with my life.”

His voice broke, warm air ghosting over her ear and she screwed her eyes shut and drowned in the love, requited and stronger than any bond she’d ever forged in her life. She was sure Sam was crying silent tears just like she was, because his tears mingled with hers and there was nothing she could say to the rightness of this moment, only feel it and accept it and make it hers. Sam came back for her, that’s all that mattered.

“Now...” She was a little puzzled when Sam pushed her back gently, until she realized he wanted her to lay down on the bed. Their bed. “Get some sleep, you look tired and restless and I need to talk to Dean for a little bit, sort all this out.”

She understood. She did, except, she needed Sam so much right now and she doubted his brother needed him as much as she did. But she didn’t voice that, only nodded her head as Sam patted her side until she was comfortably horizontal with a hand under her head on the pillow. Sam would only be a minute, he would come back to her and then Dean would leave and it will be only them again. Like always.

She vaguely wondered if Sam would make it to the interview tomorrow, before she closed her eyes and the darkness loomed like a bad omen.

.....

Dean bristled at the look on Sam’s face when they stepped outside the apartment, trying hard to get over the stench and the sight of burned and rotted wood. This wing of the dorm was empty, vacated. Has been for five years because the fire had spread to other rooms and the wing was abandoned. Repairs were set to be done but everyone that entered left, scared shitless because they could hear a woman’s scream echoing like a siren through the halls. It happened once every year on the same night and had become an instant supernatural attraction to some, but a bane to the college citizens all the same. A new wing was build a year later, from concrete, and this one left abandoned for years. When they’d stumbled on information about the haunting from a guy who prided himself on the de-myth of popular local legends, there was nothing Dean could do to stop his little brother from coming back here, to Stanford. It didn’t help that they were three days before the date of Jessica’s demise. Sam was a ball of nervous, reckless energy while he waited for this night to appear. And now that she was actually here, a tangible spirit, Dean could see Sam getting lost in the fantasy of having his girlfriend back and as much as it pained him to state the obvious... “You know you have to let her go, don’t you, Sam?”

Sam had to let go, not him. 

Sam nodded distractedly, pain filled eyes going back to the charred door, like a phantom ache for the supplication on the other side. “Yeah, Dean, I know. Just...”

“Sam,” Dean growled. The hesitation in his little brother’s voice was enough to let him know Sam didn’t want to let go. He wouldn’t make this easy.

Sam turned tear filled eyes to look at him and Dean’s resolve almost crumbled under the weight of the hurt he saw there. It was like this thing was destroying his brother from the inside out. “Dean, she’s there. It’s my fault she died, I left her behind.”

“No, Sam. _No_.” Dean rudely interrupted, needing Sam to see reason. “Brady killed her, you ganked him and now you need to help put her at rest. She’s a spirit, Sam. Eventually she’ll become vengeful and hurt people. The _real_ Jessica wouldn’t want to stay here and become a liability to others, Sam...”

Sam’s voice hitched, that wrinkle of skin between his brows as his eyes dew over again with unshed tears. “But I’m all she needs...”

Dean held his brother by the shoulders, digging his fingers in as he looked at him pleadingly in the eyes, wanting to convey all the emotions he couldn’t say out of his mouth. These were the rare times he sometimes cursed his no chick-flick stigmatism, and it always included Sam’s conviction to do something stupid. Something that might keep them apart forever, which he admitted might kill him in turn. He needed his little brother, he needed Sammy more than he needed anything else. “Sam, Sammy, I need you. Here. I need you with me _now_. What...you’re the one I depend on the most. Don’t leave me hanging man.” _Not for her. I’m here, she’s not._

Sam’s pain was palpable, thick in the back of Dean’s throat, choking him. His little brother was wavering, pragmatism warring with illusion and he didn’t want to force Sam much to choose, though he’ll play dirty if he has to. His little brother had to decide on his own what he wanted to do. It was like Sam choosing the supernatural (Ruby) over him again and he didn’t want to admit that it scared him, that Sam might give in to Jessica and he’d lose his brother forever.

“Dean...”

Sam’s voice quivered, his shoulders trembled and the tears didn’t seem to have an off switch. Dean wanted to get this thing over with and done _now_ , to get the hell outta dodge and leave this stupid place that seems to hold a part of his brother’s heart, far behind. 

He didn’t want to compete with a ghost for Sam’s attention. “Look, you know what’s right for her and for us, Sam. Don’t make it any harder than it has to be.”

Sam nodded jerkily, sniffed and then wiped the tears from his eyes with the back of his hand, trying to pull himself together somewhat. It took a really deep breath and some deep rooted courage before Sam smiled softly, then turning to the door with a hint of determination in his eyes and all Dean could think was, _’Attaboy, Sammy.’_

Sam paused with his hand on the door knob, veins standing out stark on the back of his gripping hand and Dean anticipated whatever Sam had to say, but it hit like a punch in the gut when Sam asked, “If this was mom, you would do the right thing, right, Dean?”

And all Dean did was nod, demeanor piled high with false bravado and magnanimity. Mom’s ghost was far from evil. All she did was help.

This and that were two very different things; Jessica was Sam’s and mom was His.

Utterly unrelated. “Yeah, Sammy, yeah, I’d do the right thing.”

He never got to find out if he ever would.

Sam went back into the apartment, closing the door softly behind him and Dean decided to stay out of it, this was Sam’s fight and he trusted him to know what to do. Jessica was his. The denial was loud, the pain evident between the both of them. He almost burst through the door when the sound of objects crashing started but it ended just as suddenly. There was magnanimous sobbing and whispers of promises; reassurances. It felt like a couple hours later when the bright light of crossing over reflected through the hinges, then Sam emerged sobbing openly before collapsing in his arms. He held him tight and didn’t let go.

“I gotcha, Sammy, I gotcha.”

“She’s gone, Dean.”

 _But I’m here._ “I know, I’m sorry. She’s in a better place, Sammy.”

Sam pulled back after a moment, bristled, and then tried to pull himself together. “She’s in a better place,” Sam reiterated to himself more than to anything else. “So, too chick flick for you?”

“Definitely,” Dean chortled, bouncing on his heels like a restless child.

Sam chuckled. They started walking shoulder to shoulder down the empty hall.

“Did you follow up on that possible case in Iowa, the one with the cycle killing?”

“Yeah, though your laptop battery died before I could get the names of all the victims.”

“Dude, the charger’s in the bottom of my duffel.”

“Really, I thought you said the trunk of the impala?”

“No, I said the _only_ clean underwear you have left is in the trunk of the impala.”

“Huh. So that’s where it went!”

......

......

......


End file.
